A phenomenological study of the experiences of welfare-to-work mothers in selecting child care

In this phenomenological study, 10 low-income working single mothers were interviewed. The in-depth interviews focused on issues related to selection of child care. The overarching theme was the demanding nature of being a low-income single mother. Eight of the mothers were never-married and this contributed to no contact between them and the children's fathers or the children and their fathers. Despite the demands they experienced these women were aware of their growth and gratification in being a mother. The mothers experienced contextual constraints and related issues that contributed to the child care selection process. These themes included; (a) the constraints related to the choices available to the mothers, (b) resources the mothers used in making child care choices, (c) concerns about child care and previous experiences, and (d) characteristics of child care that contributed to the mothers' satisfaction with the care they arranged. Policy implications include the mothers' needs for financial support and access to quality child care programs with staff trained to work effectively with these families.